Next up - 'Lucas' by Kevin Brooks

"Caitlin is spending the summer on the windswept island that is her home. She is caught between girlhood and maturity, and feels utterly isolated from the rest of the world. Then she meets Lucas, who is the embodiment of freedom and honesty. She is instantly drawn to him. But Caitlin must also grapple with the darker forces that seem to be confronting her family. Lucas himself further complicates matters when he is hunted for an awful crime that Caitlin herself becomes involved in. This gripping story, which takes place over one incredible month, will captivate young adult readers."

This months book is 'Lucas', by Kevin Brooks. Again, copies are available to pick up in the library (there's a TRG display stand next to the Teen fiction section), and we'll be meeting 4.30-5.30pm on Wednesday 2nd September. Please let a member of staff know if you're coming, so we can plan for refreshments.

Verdict on 'The Last Taboo' by Bali Rai

There was lots of enthusiasm for this book - people were gripped by it, ignoring their supper to carry on reading!

The story focuses on Tyrone and Simran, a black boy and an Asian girl, whose romance causes major family friction. People felt the story, a sort of updated Romeo and Juliet, had a believable ring to it. People also thought the racial issues in the book were handled well, and that characters were used to explore the complexity of issues, rather than provide simple caricatures.

The use of dialogue, too, was praised – there was concern that it could have been overdone, by a writer trying too hard to sound cool, but Rai seemed to get it just about right. It sounded like people we knew, and heightened the sense of realism in the book.
A strong story, well told – ‘The Last Taboo’ got a very solid 8.5 out of 10.